New Cycle News

[p]Hello everyone! Another day, another patch:[/p][p][/p][h2]Main Updates[/h2][p]We have made a series of significant improvements to ensure both instant rendering costs and the seamless processing of large workloads that can accumulate over long sessions.[/p][p]With performance and optimization as the main goals, this update covers improvements in key technical areas such as real-time graphics card processing capacity, VRAM usage patterns, and balanced CPU load distribution. It also contains solutions to bugs and issues that directly affect gameplay and that we can easily focus on thanks to your quick feedback.[/p][p]All these steps have been implemented without any reduction in content or lowering the quality standard of existing visuals. We were preparing and waiting to utilize certain technological capabilities included in an upcoming game engine update. With the recent release of these new infrastructure components, we worked to deliver these improvements early through a rapid refresh and refinement process. We hope to make gameplay and your experience more enjoyable and smooth.[/p][p]As with content and gameplay, our community is our biggest source of feedback when it comes to performance. That's why your feedback and reviews are very valuable to us, we thank you in advance for your time and support.[/p][p][/p]

• [p]\[Fixed] In sessions lasting 10-15 game years without logging out and back in, it was discovered that a cleanup component responsible for properly managing the graphics card's VRAM capacity was not functioning correctly, and this has been fixed.[/p]
• [p]\[Improved] Compression was performed on some shaders using new methods. This directly contributed to graphics card performance.[/p]
• [p]\[Improved] The processing methods for some textures during runtime have been modified. The required VRAM capacity has been reduced for crowded city views with extensive building inventories.[/p]
• [p]\[Improved] The ‘Surface Layers’ view, accessible via corresponding UI buttons, now also activates the icons and minimap view of the relevant source.[/p]
• [p]\[Improved] Volumetric clouds were detected to be operating above the assigned resolution value. This was reworked to prevent unnecessary performance loss.[/p]
• [p]\[Improved] Reducing the installed directory size from around 10.4 GB to 8.7 GB.[/p]
• [p]\[Fixed] The issue where some textures appeared in low quality at close range after Texture Streaming experienced problems during long gaming sessions has been fixed.[/p]
• [p]\[Fixed] Bug affecting memory usage in the infrastructure system that enables the wetting of surfaces and the generating of the raindrop effect, has been fixed.[/p]
• [p]\[Fixed] The settings tab labeled ‘Terrain Details’ in the General Settings section, which controls the density of details covering the terrain surface such as grass, small shrubs, or rocks, was not functioning as intended. This has been fixed.[/p]
• [p]\[Fixed] When upgrading certain structures to Tier III, the ‘ Freight capacity requirement ’ was not being correctly applied and warnings were not being displayed, including in the Structure UI panel. Fixed.[/p]
• [p]\[Fixed] In the advanced distillery structure, one of the ‘beverage’ production sub-formulas was not outputting results; this has been fixed.[/p]
• [p]\[Fixed] The Clothing factory's ‘Workwear’ product output was not functioning correctly; it has been fixed.[/p]
• [p]\[Fixed] The ‘Mead’ production formula was not producing the correct output in the Enhanced Workhall structure; it has been corrected.[/p]
• [p]\[Fixed] Auto training for ‘Specialist’ class wasn't working properly after loading, fixed.[/p]

[h2]Minor adjustments[/h2]

• [p]\[Fixed] The minimap display area will now only be rendered at daytime visibility levels.[/p]
• [p]\[Fixed] Failure to activate the ‘Wide’ road alternative, which should be active along with the dirt road in the relevant tutorial stage[/p]
• [p]\[Fixed] Wide Cobblestone Road surface layer was darker and shinier than it should have been; this has been corrected.[/p]
• [p]\[Fixed] When the cobblestone square components were placed on top of each other, it caused a bug that led to flickering. Fixed.[/p]
• [p]\[Improved] The ‘Wide cement pavement’ road textures has been updated.[/p]
• [p]\[Improved] A series of changes were made to the general grass and vegetation cover, which is among the surface components of the island map. Since it was determined that features such as illumination and light reflection did not react correctly at certain angles, changes were made with better alternatives, both technically and aesthetically.[/p]
• [p]\[Improved] The random flare value of the ‘Campfire’ flame effect for the outdoor environment placeable component has been slightly reduced.[/p]
• [p]\[Improved] Some environmental elements (rock formations) could display a bluish color on their surface coatings under snowfall. Restored according to the general universe color palette[/p]

[p]Hello everyone,[/p][p]we're releasing this hotfix for the last update, please see the patchnotes below:[/p][p][/p][p]Main Updates[/p]

• [p]\[Fixed] The ‘General Sound’ settings have been updated and some adjustments have been made. The settings tab where you set the general sound level will now work in more precise ranges and the maximum output will be stronger.[/p][p]Quick Reminder: After the sound range and output power updated, when you load your old games, the current sounds may seem too loud. We would like to remind you that this range, which you can adjust as you wish, may cause such discomfort on a one-time basis. We sincerely sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.[/p]
• [p]\[Fixed] The newly added video-supported ‘Hint’ messages appear too early at the start of the game. Although the conditions for generating the messages work correctly, they appear too early because I entered the wrong time interval. The intervals have been extended, and the gap has been defined to ensure that players who use the features directed in the hint content will not see these messages.[/p]
• [p]\[Fixed] When 3D indicators are displayed at angles parallel to the surface, they become slightly blurred due to atmospheric effects. The necessary adjustments were made, ensuring the correct rendering of 3D indicators in the universe, primarily the status indicators of structures.[/p]
• [p]\[Fixed] After loading, the camera returns to its original starting position. The camera has been adjusted to start at the coordinates where the Save action occurred.[/p]
• [p]\[Fixed] The newly added ‘day-night cycle and adjustable lighting time panel’ was not functioning correctly during the save/load process and was reverting to the original start interval. This has been fixed.[/p]

[p]Minor adjustments[/p]

• [p]\[Improved] Exterior cladding feature. This newly added feature was initially applied to Tier-II structures because it looked more aesthetically pleasing on their surfaces. However, the early release of cladding materials in the universe and their inability to be used on Tier-I structures caused some confusion.[/p][p]Therefore, as a minor adjustment, the exterior cladding feature has been made available for Shack, Depot, and Medical Shed structures as well.[/p]
• [p]\[Improved] The cobblestone city square props are not accessible in Cycle IV. The activation of these props has been assigned to the ‘Divided Layer’ development. They will become accessible once this technology is enabled.[/p]
• [p]\[Improved] The 3D component of the outbuilding in the garden area of the depot was not functioning correctly and was causing the camera to jitter by drawing twice; this has been fixed.[/p]
• [p]\[Improved] The ‘Deformed Brick’ cladding used for exterior customization was operating with incorrect Normal Map and Lighting settings; this has been fixed.[/p]
• [p]\[Improved] To provide better lighting and atmospheric ambiance effects, the time intervals assigned to the newly added ‘Day-night cycle management panel’ have been rearranged.[/p]
• [p]\[Improved] The distance ranges controlling the visibility of the 3D components of the Forge-I, Small Workhall-I, and Kiln-I structures have been reset, and their premature closure has been prevented.[/p]
• [p]\[Improved] Some English typo errors such as “ProcessingYard” and “Standard” have been corrected.[/p]

[p]Gameplay Improvements[/p]

• [p]\[New] As a temporary feature, once the main campaign is complete, even though the story mode ends, a new setting has been added so you can continue your session in free play with the city you have built.All your game settings and universal core mechanics will continue to function as usual, offering endless gameplay for now. [/p][p]In the future, we plan to introduce gameplay featuring ‘Vanishing Natural Environment’ systems that will become increasingly challenging and push you to find new solutions. Since this expanded Endgame mechanic was not part of our original plan and is not yet ready, we wanted to offer a temporary solution so you can continue playing with the city and community you've invested your time in.[/p]

[p]Heyho everyone,[/p][p]We really don't know how to start this, other than saying "We are sorry". We are sorry for the months without an official blogpost or patch. We had hoped that people would have seen our dedication and passion for the game in the months prior to the silence while we worked on multiple topics at once, so that they could trust in us working further without frequent "We are still on it" updates - this is definitely no excuse - which is why we will adjust some major points in our development processes, especially regarding the visibility of next steps - but more about that in the following, very long patch notes - we hope this answers what we have been up to in the recent months:[/p][p][/p][p]We are pleased to announce the 3rd major update (Alpha 25.400). This update combines brand new content with the content of the previous major update from the ‘Experimental’ branch to form the new ‘Default’ version of New Cycle. To fresh up your memory, this is the key content from the experimental branch that is now coming to default:[/p]

• [p]Physics-based water mechanic and new vehicles: Ships[/p]
• [p]New Maps and extended map scale[/p]
• [p]New Buildings and Products[/p]
• [p]Vast graphical and performance improvements[/p]

[p]You can find more content and the detailed overview here [/p][p][/p][p]Like we already did in the past, we will move the current version of the game over to the rollback branch, which will allow you to finish your games - since due to the extensive changes to the game, 'old' savegames won't be compatible with this release. To find more about this topic, please take a look at this post.[/p][p]As detailed in the announcement below, there are new structures, side mechanics, a series of  changes and game engine updates. We have also implemented a series of improvements to our backend systems. These are primarily performance improvements and preparations to lay the groundwork for new mechanics included in future updates. New features and enhancements not present in previous versions naturally cause inherent differences in save file contents.[/p][p][/p][p]Also, we are looking into new ways to share the progress of our development with you, since we follow an approach where we are working on multiple topics simultaneously, while only safely releasing those that have reached the necessary maturity. We will return to you very soon with a solution to share this with you in a way that we can also receive feedback from you regarding your thoughts on our plans.   [/p][p]Additionally, our Community Managers ‘Yxsver’ and ‘Kirisaki’ have handed over their duties to our new colleague ‘BK’ due to a job change. We thank them for their efforts and contributions. Lastly, we have also activated a new account named ‘CoreEngage’ on Steam for communication purposes. This account will be used by our authorized personnel on a rotating basis and will be kept active for uninterrupted communication.[/p][p][/p][h3]But now let's take a look at the completely new content coming with this update:[/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Civil Reflections of Industrial Progress[/h2][p]A new era in which advanced communities have begun to produce more complex, high-rise living spaces and service buildings, particularly in civil structures. Traditional brick use is giving way to cement, and these new architectural examples, which are more resistant to disasters, have a lower risk of complete collapse, and can safely accommodate more people with their multi-story structures, will also offer multiple visual variant options. While it is becoming easier to achieve a more organic cityscape that fits the normal flow of life with aesthetically differentiated structures, this will be entirely dependent on user preference. [/p][p][/p][p]New High-Tire Houses [/p][p]Additionally, the ‘Waste’ production side mechanic we added to the game with this update will also be active in these new residences. However, we intend to partially change this part with a new, more complex structure in the future for more complex waste management.[/p][p][/p][p]Advanced housing with increased capacity will allow for the management of a much larger population by using more compact and smaller surface areas, while this transformation maneuver, which will take place in the Mid-End game stages, will allow you to obtain new vacant land in the heart of your settlement, offering you the opportunity to follow a more dynamic path of development.[/p][p][/p][h2]New Buildings And Visual Customization Feature[/h2][p]This update primarily consists of social-living units. These units, which expand the End-Game range of the universe and will now form the new end-level structure stock, will also be customizable in the future.[/p][p] House IV Models[/p][p][/p][p] Bakery II - Hospital III - Pub III - Store III[/p][p][/p][h2]Visual Customization Feature[/h2][p]You can now customize specific surfaces of buildings with new coatings however you like.[/p][p]This new feature was a request frequently voiced by our community. From the moment brick structures began to exist in the universe, you will be able to change the exterior surfaces of certain buildings according to your level of advancement, using any material, pattern, and adjustable color options you desire.[/p][p][/p][p]Currently, brick structures offer this feature. (The cement/Steel structures are being worked on)[/p][p]We attempted to group cladding materials according to the universe's naming methodology and their actual material origin. For example, producing a decent amount of Lumber or Brick will trigger the unlocking of related cladding materials.[/p][p][/p][p]You can choose from ten different cladding options in the main groups, with nearly thirty color alternatives. We hope that this visual add-on, which we have prepared while remaining faithful to the overall atmosphere and color palette of the universe (Relatively cleaner surface alternatives are still available.), can offer more variety and freedom of styling.[/p][p][/p][h3]New City Props and a Small Aesthetic Experiment[/h3][p]12 new placeable city props have been added. These objects, with an industrial theme and late-stage focus, will help reflect a more organic metropolis look and production site aesthetics.[/p][p][/p][p] New Outdoor Props[/p][p]We have also added the ‘Metal Fence’ and ‘Log Fence’ structures for a functional wall experiment. This props can be used with either ‘grid or Free’ placement methods as desired and allows you to create interconnected fences. This fence, which also allows you to place functional gates, directly affects the passage routes and navigation of vehicles and people.

Currently, two fence types have been added: Log and Chain-link. If the community is satisfied with the planning and aesthetic benefits that fences and walls offer to the city layout, we intend to support this variety with different types such as sheet metal, brick wall etc.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Academic Foundations[/h3][p]As a new sub-mechanic accessible in the mid-game phase for working-class education, a new structure and interface representing the regular education system is being introduced.[/p][p]This structure offers a new gameplay experience that allows players to assign the number of ‘Craftsmen’ and ‘Specialists’ they want to keep constantly available in the universe, and enables selected educational structures in the city to continuously train workers through autonomous education in line with this direction. Additionally, different training methods have been added, introducing new paths that players can choose based on their preferences, such as success rate, training duration, and training content, supported by various factors in the city.[/p][p]Furthermore, the standard training method has been redesigned to operate in three different ways.[/p][p]Specifically, to logically overcome the tediousness of a repetitive microtask for training new workers in the later stages, this new system, shaped by community feedback, will undergo a minor update in the future to ensure the necessary flow for the education of the young population and their direct assignment to an educated class after childhood.[/p]

• [p]Educational buildings had classroom sizes according to their levels.[/p]
• [p]A method with additional requirements has been added to ensure the training is successfully completed for all participants. (In craftman and specialist training, a random structure will be allocated for practical training purposes, and the structure's other activities will be suspended during the training period.)[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]New Auto-Training UI [/p][p] [/p][h3]Introduction to waste management and first steps toward environmental pollution[/h3][p]With this new mechanical system, residences and some production facilities will generate ‘Organic Waste’ as a result of consumption and human activities. This resource will not be transferred directly to storage facilities but will be collected and processed by personnel at a new production facility called the ‘Waste collector’.[/p][p][/p][p]The ‘Organic Waste’ added to the universe in the previous experimental update serves as a base resource, primarily for fertilizer production, and will continue to serve as a base for certain elements within the framework of the Chemical Production Tree to be added in the future.[/p][p][/p][h3]New structural variants and changes[/h3][p]The structure of ‘Kaleyard’, which is responsible for vegetable and herb production, has changed. While its surface area in the universe has decreased, the cultivated area will now feature models belonging to multiple species.[/p][p]This will allow us to have gardens in different variants, aiming to achieve a more authentic and characteristic agricultural region appearance.[/p][p]New Kaleyard and vegetable varieties[/p][p][/p][p]The Barn structure has also changed. The new structure, which covers a larger area than the old surface area, has been expanded to potentially host local animations and perhaps different species in the future.[/p][p]New Barn[/p][p][/p][h3]Changes to the Trader Mechanics:[/h3][p]Traders will no longer visit your city after Cycle IV.[/p][p]The current trade infrastructure is based on a simple one-to-one exchange system. We have advanced our work on regions and other factions, and in future updates, we will announce periodic trade agreements, diplomatic agreements, and other related mechanics.[/p][p]Until these features are released, we have implemented this temporary measure because the current trading system only generates a ‘message to pass through’ burden for our players after a certain stage.[/p][p][/p][h3]New UI Additions[/h3][p]The main structure menu's operation has been slightly modified. Due to the increasing number of structures as the universe progresses, you can now scroll through this area while viewing your structure inventory for each ‘Tier’. ‘By scrolling or clicking on auxiliary UI elements’.[/p][p][/p][p]The Day Cycle Management Panel has been changed. This area allowed you to manage general lighting, sun/moon position, and all related ambiance factors according to set times of the day. To make it easier to use and more understandable, we have completely redesigned this panel and added extra explanations.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]New Engine Upgrade and Performance Gain[/h3][p]As is known from our approach in the previous two major updates, we closely follow significant developments and new technological advances in the Unity game engine.In this context, over the past two months, we have made upgrades to integrate some new technologies released within the Unity game engine, with the aim of reducing the workload in our production processes and improving our runtime performance.[/p][p]Without getting into too much technical detail, we would like to highlight two of these features in particular. The first is the new inengine LOD system. We have to produce fewer assets that need to be prepared in advance. In the old system infrastructure's workflow, especially in cities with a large number of buildings, there was intense performance pressure on the CPU during runtime. With the new workflow, the CPU process is no longer involved.[/p][p]New methods have been implemented that improve the way multiple animated entities work simultaneously. This has led to improvements in both GPU and CPU performance, particularly for New Cycle, which requires rendering a large number of buildings, people, and objects.[/p][p][/p][h3]Minimum system requirements have changed[/h3][p]We had previously declared our intention to expand the game's universe beyond the originally planned version due to the community's support and request.[/p][p]As of today, with the inclusion of the new major update content, we have expanded our initial playable content volume by approximately 40%. (New structures, Maps, raw materials/products, mechanics, textures, etc.) [/p][p]And naturally with at least four major and dozens of minor updates planned ahead, is causing us to exceed our technical requirements.[/p][p][/p][h3]Graphical Enhancements[/h3][p]We have a new add-on that directly affects the appearance of the entire universe and can be turned on or off as desired. Imitating real time light reflection and water surface reflections![/p][p][/p][p]With the innovations we've made to our lighting processing and rendering paths, the entire universe now operates with more powerful ‘Reflections’. This allows all surfaces and wet surfaces (depending on weather conditions) to reflect light differently and enables the base lighting to achieve a more organic appearance.[/p][p][/p][p]This new plugin, which adapts to the day and night lighting cycle, has also been developed to actively function on the surfaces of large bodies of water. This further enhances the stylized realistic spirit we aim to reflect in the universal appearance.[/p][p][/p][h3]Enhanced real-time weather changes and Shaders[/h3][p]The current day cycle and weather change system transition sequences have been reorganized. Based on your feedback, more organic weather transitions and their universal effects have been attempted to be presented with a stronger configuration.[/p][p]The wetness gain and loss of surfaces (both structures and environmental components) based on precipitation rates has been reorganized to provide more options and smoother transitions.[/p][p]Sky components (clouds, lighting, general fog, global fog height, volumetric light range, and aurora) have been redesigned to provide a more organic transition while maintaining more flexible reactions to seasons and biomes during seasonal changes.[/p][p]Biomes containing rivers and seas now feature wave length, current intensity, and light-dependent color change properties based on seasons and weather changes within those intervals.[/p][p]Thanks to new infrastructure developments, all universe trees now feature a proximity-sensitive dither effect. Branches and leaves will fade in and out of the render slightly along their assigned radius beyond a certain distance from the camera position.[/p][p][/p][p]Also we had the opportunity to make a series of improvements in universe physics calculations and their visual feedback tools.[/p][p]We improved and developed our generic features such as real-time dynamic wave generation and driving feel feedback based on the physics calculations of water and land vehicles. (For npc and player)[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Lastly, some fabric surfaces, coverings and primitive electrical cables, which were early-stage three-dimensional objects, have now transformed into components that move in proportion to wind strength according to changing weather conditions.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Sound system improvements[/h3][p]Over 40 new sound effects have been added, and improvements have been made to the universal sound level system based on the player's position and surrounding elements.[/p][p]The maximum distance range for sound output from existing structures has been increased, and sound transitions based on camera movements have been designed to flow more organically.[/p][p][/p][h3]New supporting content[/h3][p]We have added a new series of video materials containing practical examples, in addition to the tutorial section and the Encyclopedia page.[/p][p]These videos cover topics such as shortcuts and important functions, features, etc.[/p][p]For example, holding down the ‘Shift’ key and clicking on any structure quickly switches to build mode to create a copy of the selected structure or you can change the order and number of ‘items’ displayed in the top tab as you wish.[/p][p]We aim to show videos explaining these and similar features to players who never use them, via one-time pop-up in-game messages. These messages will not be repetitive and will not be sent to players who already use these features.[/p][p][/p][h3]New Achievements[/h3][p]7 new achievements have been added.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Fixes and Balancing[/h3]

• [p]Adjusted collision functions for some assets in the 3D universe[/p]
• [p]Improvements have been made to saving and save file volume management. The save file capacity for very large cities has been significantly reduced, and reload speed has been increased.[/p]
• [p]Corrected the positions of 3D objects and door entry/exit points in some structures[/p]
• [p]The environmental and weather-related interactions of some structures have been reorganized. (Grass removal rates on the terrain, improvement of interior areas to be covered during snowfall, etc.)[/p]
• [p]Reduced the cumulative accumulation factor of the ‘General Health’ effect on age-related death calculations[/p]
• [p]Increased the positive effect of high-quality food and good health conditions on lifespan. An extra positive multiplier has been added to this ratio for the Specialist class.[/p]
• [p]Farm productivity calculations have been slightly modified and improved.[/p]
• [p]An issue that could occur when clicking on structures placed on the ‘Square’ component of the City Probe has been fixed.[/p]
• [p]Improvements have been made to some image processing methods for crowded cities with many structures, resulting in improved endgame level performance.[/p]
• [p]Animations and positioning of workers inside certain structures have been improved.[/p]
• [p]The area where the GreenHouse fire effect works on the structure surface has been corrected.[/p]
• [p]Some translation errors have been fixed and missing text has been updated.[/p]
• [p]The 3D model of the Inland Fish farm structure has been renewed.[/p]
• [p]Sky illumination rates that work in parallel with the day-night cycle have been reorganized, and a series of new autonomous functions have been added to enable a more realistic nighttime feel.[/p]
• [p]Excessive collision errors experienced during the placement phase of the Refinery structure have been fixed.[/p]
• [p]The loud explosion sound effect that plays when lightning strikes the Forge II structure has been re-adjusted.[/p]
• [p]Corrupted audio and visual effects in the washing pool section of the Processing Yard I structure have been fixed.[/p]
• [p]The part that keeps the outer surfaces of boats in contact with the water surface looking wet has been readjusted.[/p]
• [p]Alternative formulas containing Manure for ‘vegetable’ and ‘herb’ production have been added to the Kaleyard structure.[/p]
• [p]Water input has been reduced in the primitive soap production formula.[/p]
• [p]Water input has been reduced in the Manure production formula.[/p]
• [p]The construction requirements for several bunker structures have been modified.[/p]
• [p]Capacity yield and requirement values for ‘Dormitories’ units in the Bunker structure have been modified.[/p]
• [p]Recycling Facility (temporary Endgame water production solution) water production formula requirements have been lowered and production time has been revised.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]And more on the way![/h3][p]We would like to thank our entire community once again for your patience and support, stay tuned for further insights![/p][p][/p]

Hello everyone,

Being on the final stretch of implemeting exciting new content together with vast improvements and changes to the game, we wanted to share the current progress with you.
Because we are not quite done with the polishing, we decided to do this in a safe way and distribute this preview version via the public experimental branch.

What does this mean? It's a Steam feature that allows us to grant you access to alternate game versions without breaking the current stable game build you find in the standard/default installation. You can opt into the experimental game branch with only a few clicks: Find New Cycle in your library and right click on the name -> choose Properties... -> select the Tab Betas -> from the drop down menu on the right choose public-experimental. See GIF below:
[expand] [/expand]
We aim to release this update in the regular and stable way soonly after wrapping up the finetuning and preparing the next steps.

Be aware that due to the extensive changes, savegames from earlier versions won't carry over to this release, so please start a new game to enjoy the new features. Those savegames won't be lost by changing between builds, and for the full release we'll make the previous game version available in a legacy branch.

Of course we're eager to hear your feedback, since this update will reshape the game in fundamental ways and lays the foundation for faster updates down the road. The best place for this is our discord server, find the link below.


##

As many of you know, we have been working on a large infrastructure upgrade in parallel with our development process. With this attempt, we have achieved technical milestones that give New Cycle a lot of room for maneuver in the long term and I would like to emphasize that this is only possible because of the support of you. Thank you once again for your support and patience.

We are happy to share with you the outputs of the first round of our comprehensive progress and renewal. This update mainly includes additions and adjustments to universal assets such as buildings, products, vehicles, maps, light and environment elements, etc.



This will be followed by a major update that includes a development tree revamp, regulation management tool, story expansion, conveyor belt expansion and regional setting management edits. With the combination of these two major releases, we plan to convert Alpha 25-300.01 'Experimental' to Stable.

Alpha 25-300.01 Highlights

- **Coastal biome expansion**
- **Physics-based water mechanic and new vehicles: Ships**
- **4 New Maps and extended map scale**
- **Revised visual rendering and effects framework**
- **New 'Cycle transition' conditions**
- **9 new structures from different phases of the universe**
- **9 new products and raw material**
- **10 new Steam Achievement**
- **New Placable aesthetic outdoor assets, New wide pedestrian paths**
- **New Sub-System: Alternative production formulas**
- **Balancing production outputs**
- **Population requirements and outcomes improvements**
- **Revisions to birth, death and catastrophe systems**
- **Upgraded lighting system, ambient design elements and effects**
- **New sub-system for adaptive ambient Sound/Visual Effect**
- **Fixes, small additions and adjustments**

Update details

- Coastal biome expansion and new maps

Aquatic biomes are crucial for the New Cycle universe to expand and provide the fullest possible variety of experiences.

To this purpose, this update includes three different aquatic biome maps, with a flat coastal, peninsula-like and archipelago example.



In these maps, the fauna and flora components are characteristically varied, daily lighting cycles, Light, Fog and seasonal events can differ, affecting the entire view.

For example, northern biomes may have a bluer-gray appearance, a darker sea and a denser layer of fog in wet weather.

Coastal maps close to the grassland biome may present a yellowish or clean green appearance. Fog and precipitation may be lighter and the overall illumination lighter in color. At the moment, it also offers the ability to navigate all ship types in free mode and optional maritime missions in third-person mode are on the way.

In future updates, these biomes will have unique permanent or temporary effects that impact the entire gameplay.For example, in arid biomes the community's base water consumption multiplier will run permanently higher, or in biomes with cold climates the overall fuel demand will run higher.

- New Cycle transition conditions

We've made changes to make the progression of the game universe a bit more specific and free for each player and each session. Now, in order to advance to the next Cycle, you need to have a certain number and type of buildings instead of reaching a certain population.

These building lists are randomly generated from the facilities that are available to you in the Cycle you are currently playing, according to certain rules.

- New Products and Raw Materials



Tallow

Firewood

Pottery

Organic Waste

Manure

Soap

Sponge

Fabric

Fine Outfit

Alternative new source SeaFood: It is obtained by hunting from suitable environments and processed to produce 'meat' and 'organic waste'.

- New Buildings/Road and Production facilities



Household Depot

Fisher

Steam Generator

Fishing harbor

ProccesingYard

Desalination Plant

Inland Fish Farm

Enhanced Workhall

Textile Factory

New roads alternatives twice the width of existing roads. (For both dust road and cobblestone road)

- New side mechanics: placeable outdoor assets

A new sub-mechanic that will directly contribute to the cityscape, ranging from primitive wooden assets to industrial components, and is entirely under player control.

With support for grid or free placement, as well as 'collision deactivation’, you'll be able to position all placeable scenery assets in the universe in any way you wish.

In upcoming updates, some special decor assets will also be able to have specific functions.

Since they are small and can be placed in large numbers, these entities can be mass removed in an area of your choice with a special button in the build menus.

Decor plants are also automatically removed when a road or building is placed on them.

- New Ui Elements/Tool Tips and improvements

A number of new designs and adjustments to existing panels have been made to provide easier and more consistent access.



The biome selection screen has been completely revamped. General inventory display bars for the selected biome have been added, and options have been added on the same screen that allow you to select startup settings and access other settings that customize the game session. This screen also includes a section where you can choose which era to start the game from and name your settlement.



When placing a building or path, the information panel at the top left of the screen now contains descriptions of all the warnings that appear in the 3D universe.



Conveyor belt, roads, railroad tracks and related components have been moved to the newly created menu location.

- New sub-system for adaptive ambient Sound/Visual Effect

A new complementary aesthetic system was integrated that works according to certain rules based on the distance of the camera from the earth and the entities it sees at that moment.

This plugin, which recognizes a natural environment or city components, is involved in both generating environmental sounds and triggering some visual effects.

For example, if you zoom in on an empty patch of land at night, you may hear biome-specific nature sounds or see fireflies flying around.

Passing over a high-level industrial building, you may hear the sounds of heavy machinery, smoke effects, or work environment noises that may occur randomly.
This small add-on is an infrastructure component that will make it easier to create a sense of realism using more complex effects content for the New Cycle universe, which features a wide variety of assets and environments.

Gameplay changes

- Changes were made to the production requirements, times and outputs of all products and raw materials.
- In order to better reflect the transition to development and industrial-scale production, especially in late period buildings, the labor requirements of level III production facilities were increased, and the input raw material and output ratios were subjected to a multiplier effect in direct proportion.
- Food, water, clothing and tool consumption values of all classes were recalibrated for 5 different distribution levels.
- Output rates raised for all energy-generating buildings
- Added a small feature for the reuse of cemeteries. Normally designed with story input, this section is now available in a slightly simpler way to allow for reuse.
- Grid-based placement feature has been added to the highway placement.
- Added the ability to use alternative formulas for target product output. (such as agriculture with or without manure, seawater desalination, terrestrial fish farms.)
- As a result of the Fine outfit product being added to the universe, the Workwear product was moved two cycles earlier.
- New product fabric added to the production formula of Supply
- Provision areas have been expanded for all Service structures.
- Reduced Mineshaft exploration cost
- Access areas to agricultural structures, Windmills and Gather/Hunter camps have been expanded.
- Water production in the proccesden structure was modified by adding coal and sand requirements
- Changes in natural or age-related mortality.
- Improvements in birth and aging factors
- Trigger interval for some disasters recalibrated
- Revised the conditions of events, timeframes and some of the final outcomes of the some story and event strings.
- The main screen build list Ui panel has been reorganized. Conveyor belt, road, highway assets have been transferred to new direct access icons added to this part.
- Optional placeable objects, such as outdoor assets and sculptures, have likewise been assigned new Ui locations.
- Changed the position of some buildings and products in the development tree.
- Added pottery to Mead production formula
- Added water to Honey production formula
- 'Organic waste' has been added to the output of formulas for Grain, Linen, Meat and Fish production in some conditions

Technical and Visual Change Details

- To assign the building information Ui panel, which is activated with the Left Alt key, to any key, the relevant field has been added to the settings tab.
- Brightness and Contrast adjustment options have been added to the Settings tab, with the ability to preview the in-game view.
- The 'Trax' option has been added to the settings tab to turn on/off the ability for vehicles and NPCs to leave tracks in snow and certain surfaces.
- 3D presence of the House I structure has been changed
- Changed the 3D presence of Farm and Kaleyard Buildings and their surface area in the universe. Added the ability to produce with two different formulas, with and without manure.
- The metal legs of the conveyor belts have been improved so that they recognize roads, railways and highways and create themselves in a way that does not occur there.
- Scale of the Windmill structures and the surface area they occupy have been changed.
- 3D presence of the discovered but not analyzed mine shafts preview has been changed .
- Oachard building landscaping revised and new tree models added
- Changed Ui component to turn off-on day/night cycle or set preference based on specific time interval.
- Camera system transitions have been reconfigured. The camera will no longer turn off and on during transitions between gameplay-cinematic-vehicle driving camera mode etc. and the transition action will be smoother to observe
- Maximum camera height and standard movement speeds have been increased (for all Keypad, mouse right-click, or Pan modes)
- Changed the current universe time and real time multiplier to 0.5 when switching to driving mode for vehicles such as Trucks and Ships.
- Added the ability for the ground moving fog layer to react to light and time of day.
- The effect of wind mechanics on trees and grass has been adjusted to produce a more gradual effect.
- Material was arranged on some grasses and bushes.
- The physical surface shading of some buildings has been readjusted.
- Improvements to shadow and light surface overlay and render calculation method
- Improved the generation and distribution intelligence of free roaming NPCs in the city.

### **Known issues**

- During the game, when changing the overall visual quality in the settings menu, it was observed that in some cases extra resources were left on the VRAM.

This situation is caused by a Bug of the game engine we use and we expect that this problem will be fixed by Unity in a short time. For now, not using the settings change frequently or logging in and out of the game and changing the settings will avoid this problem.

- Ships are not yet as intelligent as trucks. Until special animations and advanced working intelligence designed for hunting are added, they can feel a little rough around the edges. Until bridge objects are remodeled, the ability to crash into them is turned off.
- Procedurally generated mine shafts can, in some cases, occur very close to each other. This does not prevent them from working, but it can make the selection process a little more difficult.
- When structures are placed on steep slopes or surfaces above certain heights, sometimes the land cannot be completely leveled. This is a deliberate setting of the general terrain leveling feature.
- On extremely long lines, trains can fill their screen time prematurely and disappear in an instant. This does not harm their overall operation, it is just a visual.

Greetings!

First of all, we want to thank you, our community, for your patience and the constructive feedback and criticism we received! This valuable interaction with our players was one of the reasons we decided to embark on this early access journey, and in this first year we already learned a lot. And while we have to ask for a little more patience, rest assured, that we are working hard to turn those learnings into an experience, with a detailed breakdown of what to expect in the announcement below:


Gameplay and Mechanics
The next major updates include many technical improvements, but also the most radical gameplay changes in our update history. For players who want to take the gameplay in more different directions and have more freedom with their strategy, we aim to offer more options and combinations, but also more customization and the chance to reflect personal preferences at the moment while keeping the game flow intact.

Changes in Development Tree
The Development Tree, so far used to unlock buildings and products based on a simple flow and level of development, now includes more path options and player-choice upgrades that will impact the universe. It also consists of a new way of presentation and ‘regulations’ that can be directly implemented according to the level of development.
Thanks to this step, we want to give each player more freedom in the direction they want to take their universe. With the introduction of 'Upgrades and Direct Edits', which we try to explain in more detail below, your chances of being more decisive on the universe by supporting freedom of movement in the development tree will increase.
The new model, which supports the overall flow of the game, as your technological capabilities increase, allows you to improve the existing structures a little bit without switching to the next-generation ones. Also, you can always take the safe route and quickly upgrade them to the more advanced levels.


New Development Tree Window



New Intermediate Upgrades and Renovation Project Tasks
The new development tree will now include intermediate upgrades. These can improve existing structures, adjust production formulas, or increase efficiency and output multipliers based on technological capabilities and available materials as the game universe progresses.
This new system has been integrated so that the preferred upgrades can be shaped according to the strategy the player wants to implement. It also gives old structures the ability to adapt in parallel with the growth process.
To create a more realistic universe flow, these adaptation improvements will also initiate a renovation project that will require upgrading existing structures.
Naturally, both the upgrade and these Renovation Projects will have a cost. Projects will vary in direct proportion to the number of targeted old buildings or infrastructures. Of course, all of these upgrades are left to the player's choice, and whether or not you perform them will not be a binding factor in the game's progression.
Some upgrade projects may create new parts or components that can slightly change the appearance of existing structures. We have designed and added around 40 intermediate and custom upgrades, and we expect this number to grow in parallel as the game universe progresses.

Changeable Regulations
As you know, in the New Cycle universe, depending on the progress and development of life, your community may request arrangements from you in certain situations and offer you a roadmap with a few options to take.
In parallel with this existing 'narrative' fed system, we have added new regulations directly linked to development progress.
These new stage-dependent regulations have been placed in the 'Development Tree', directly accessible by the player without any universal triggers. Some, of course, will require technological progress or the continuity of a specific development.


New ''Regulation'' Preference Window



All regulations can now be changed by the player, regardless of the source from which they were accessed. These changes will have conditions and effects.
With over 20 new regulations, you'll be able to further customize your city and community and get closer to creating an identity, including rules of social life, external relations, production methodologies, occupational safety, social norms, and more.

Changes in Cycle Progress
The system for maintaining Cycle progression based on Population and Knowledge has been changed. From now on, a certain number of cycle specific structures (and still some Knowledge) will be required, which gives the player more control over his progression.

New Advisor System
We have made our 'Advisor' System, which we had the opportunity to present to you for the first time in our demo version, ready for release by improving it a little more and making it more organically affect the game flow. 'Advisors' are special characters in the game universe that can join your community through immigration, birth, education (as a result of training paths such as Worker to Craftsman, etc.), or special small quests.

Each of these characters has certain qualities according to their professional skills or origin stories, and depending on their level, they will be able to have a positive impact on any issue in the city in general, on a specific type of profession, or other indicators.
You will be able to create a delegation of advisors from these special characters from the Worker, Crafter, or Specialist classes, with a number limit determined by your level of development, and you will be able to assign and dismiss them according to your needs and plan according to the needs of your strategy. How many advisors you have from which class or not offering positions to other classes can also cause problems in your community.

New Side-Mechanic: Mass Focus
Mass focus is a newly defined sub-mechanic. It is an executive tool where you can set focused topics to achieve specific mastery or gains by directing some of your community's day-to-day 'Knowledge' to a niche topic.
We can interpret it as a developable new path of progress based on the main topics of survival, production, natural resource management, collective life, and, in the future, diplomacy and dialogue.
You can develop these paths over time by giving up some of your daily 'Knowledge' output. Each level can upgrade existing achievements or make specific contributions in their respective fields. The decisions you make or the solutions you choose during different events in the game can increase or decrease this focused accumulation.

New Biome Preference Window and Gameplay Settings
After choosing between Scenarios or Sandbox, you can select biomes via the screen in the image below.
We have designed this screen to facilitate the presentation of more biome types and to provide information easily about the fundamental values (fertility, mineral availability, water resources, etc.) of the biome to be preferred.


New ''Map Type'' Selection Window


We have also added the most important of the general 'Gameplay' settings directly into this window, where you can adjust key variables affecting the entire gameplay to the player's liking.


This is a preferred way of presentation for quick and easy access, especially for players new to the genre or experiencing our game for the first time.

Revised Bonus System: Stacking Effects
Our current universe has a wide network of effects and reactions, fed by many factors such as events, developments, and social reactions.
We refer to these effects as 'bonuses', a variable that increases in number as the game universe expands, and we have decided to express them in a new way of processing. In line with the requests of the community, the effects that affect the primary factors such as Workforce, Efficiency, Morale, etc., which can be logically combined under the same title, will now be expressed in UI by adding them on top of each other.
More than just a simple UI edit, this stackable effect system supports the creation of preference tools that can be taken in different directions, such as improving or reducing existing bonuses.

New Map Types: Extended Scale
Thanks to the upgrade of our Unity game engine and the proper integration of newly released technologies, we could increase the available playable map areas by 60-70%.

Thus, when the overall surface area of our maps that we offered in the early days of the release was 570,000 (756x756) in engine units, we have now reached a standard surface area width of 2,300,000 (1512x1512). Naturally, the terrain of the preferred map (islands, mountains, valleys, river beds, etc.) will continue to act as factors that reduce the percentage of inhabitable area, and these ratios will vary for each map type.

New Structures, Products, and Units
The new structures added to the universe mainly focus on gameplay in the 'Aquatic Biome'. This update also includes structures that will form the basis of the expanding ''Chemistry'-based production tree;

• Primitive generator
  
• Processing Yard
  
• Fisher
  
• Advanced Fisher
  
• Offshore Fishery
  
• Desalination Plant
  
• Seafood Plant
  
• Workhall (An advanced level of Small WorkHall building)
  
• Sewing Workshop (An advanced level of tailor building)
  

Optional structures: These new building types can be accessed through specific events, storylines, or player preferences (predominantly optional based on need) and will provide services with special attributes.

• Reservoir: A new way to utilize rainwater for a moderately developed city with a reduced land surface area. By feeding a single large city-wide structure with the water channels provided by your improved road network, you can obtain an extra water source.
  
• Crematorium: An alternative solution to the last resting place occupation required by overly large populations in growing cities that are naturally short of space. Along with the alternative routes that the emerging chemical industry can offer.
  
• Wave rider: These structures, which can be built in partially offshore areas with certain wavelengths, will be able to generate electricity from wave motion with the possibility of damaging other resources offered by the occupied area.
  

New products consist of the outputs of the new structures and the calculated consumption needs of the population.

• Firewood
  
• Tallow
  
• Soap
  
• Manure
  
• Seafood
  
• Pottery
  
• Iron Utensil
  

New units for land and sea:

• Rowboat: Standard wooden rowing boat. Allows fishing along the coastline and in shallow waters. It can also be used for harvesting sponges and seafood in reef areas close to the shore.
  
• Skiff: It is a durable boat with a diesel engine suitable for a small crew of a few people. It can be used for inshore and offshore fishing and gathering.
  
• Trawler: This metal boat with twin engines and a large deck is suitable for long-term missions such as offshore fishing and whale hunting.
  
• Mog: Small truck modified for a specific role that can optionally be accessed with a unique task.
  
• Truck v02: A new truck model with more payload capacity but higher fuel and maintenance costs. Available depending on player preference.
  
• New Wagon Types For Train
  

New Environment and Urban Units
The New Cycle universe introduces cosmetic class entities, along with the new placeable unit menu design.
These new ''environment units'' will be of great visual benefit to the overall look and architectural spread of your city. The overall cityscape, which up to now has only consisted of buildings, roads, and the belt system, will now be supported by over 40 units of different types and scales, allowing for a much richer composition.



The overall inventory can be summarized as follows: 'Flora' consisting of small plants, shrubs, and trees; 'environmental objects' consisting of wooden and metal boxes, outdoor electrical wiring components, piles of stored goods, diesel punk-themed piping, fireplaces, etc; cobblestone square pieces and seats and lighting.
Apart from the contribution of cosmetic appearance only, we aim for some of these units to have both logical and mechanical qualities. Some special units can work as external storage units, some environmental elements can be used against the 'Pollution' mechanic when added, and simple components like crosswalks can be recognized and used by the masses moving through the city.
We will follow a production policy in which these varieties will increase continuously throughout the development process.



Other Minor but Important Changes and Improvements
This list contains a selection of topics that directly affect gameplay is heavily weighted in feedback from the community, and is not a complete fix list. As always, a full list of all revisions and fixes will be shared simultaneously with the release.

• It provided new balancing inputs for major consumption components such as water, food, and clothing. Formulas have been revised to support more populous cities, especially as alternative production structures have been added to the universe and maps have grown.
  
• Adjustments were made to birth/death rates. In particular, the mortality rate due to old age was improved and the special case of ''retired'' was added. The processing of welfare indicators affecting birth rates was revised.
  
• Product storage upper limits and warehouse capacities were revised.
  
• Improved interval calculation and probability calculations for random disasters. Removed previously ignored values such as the 0.01% probability of recurrence and made the probability conditions more realistic.
  
• Several improvements have been made, such as the guidelines for the highway placement phase and the snap features of the roads.
  
• Early-stage production capacity was increased due to new regulations and intermediate upgrades. In parallel, late-stage belt-supported production formulas were readjusted and universal balance was renewed.
  
• Changed some endgame requirements for the Campaign mode and improved the conditions, time slots, and probability scenarios for main missions.
  
• Alternative solution routes based on events, stories, or regulations have been added for specific problems such as setting cemetery usage conditions, taking measures to meet the need for water and food in emergencies, etc.
  
• New buildings and upgrades to existing ones were added to energy production.
  
• Edits have been made to the ambiance sounds and structure sounds, both in terms of content and working distance ranges. New effects and operating principles have been added to achieve a stronger ambient feel.
  
• New condition ranges and timeframes have been assigned for repetitive requests and messages from the community in unfavorable situations and circumstances.
  

So, these are the titles of our major update content, which mainly affects the gameplay and expands the game universe on the axis of life-production-management and aims to provide a more stable and enjoyable experience.

Along these additions and changes comes our transition to the Unity 6000 version and the technical mobility obtained with this transition - especially the improvements and new methods in light, effects, rendering quality, background calculations, and new possibilities for our game universe.

Since we have detailed these technical titles in the previous announcement, we are not adding them here to avoid repetition. You can check the link below for the details regarding the technical upgrade, which includes many new topics from water physics to the radical change of the general appearance.

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2198510/view/546722128842457425?l=english

We are happy to be able to inform you once again about our progress and current situation. Obviously, we would have been happier if we could have released this content in time for our game's anniversary, but the ever-expanding game universe and our aim to produce technically flawless content has caused a slight shift in the schedule. On behalf of the entire team, we would like to thank you once again for your understanding and support!

Team Core Engage & Daedalic Entertainment.